Extraordinary circumstances: ‘Military courts are need of the hour’

MULTAN: “If justice had been served through civil courts, military courts would never have been needed,” said Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) Secretary General Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Sunday. He was talking to newsmen at a press conference. “Military courts should be supported by all political parties in the country to put an end to terrorism once and for all,” he said. He said by not taking timely action against terrorists, the government had emboldened them in their war against the people of Pakistan. He said it was time to prosecute terrorists indiscriminately. He said no government would willingly allow military courts unless there were some exceptional circumstances. Abbas said after 141 people were killed in a barbaric attack on Army Public School in Peshawar, leaders of the country had united and made some tough choices. “If the judiciary had not been politicised, there would be no need for military courts,” he said. He said by deciding on setting up special courts, leaders of the country had given a resounding message to terrorists that their days of killing innocent civilians were numbered.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2014.